


The Dragon Reforged

by TheLizardWizard



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:07:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29066304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLizardWizard/pseuds/TheLizardWizard
Kudos: 2





	1. The Arrival

“Welcome to Skyrim, Lizard. Watch yourself.”

These words were Ra-Shei’s greeting into the land of Skyrim. That, and the severe snowstorm that had been harrowing him ever since he stepped foot into the Jerral Mountains. At the very least he had taken the advice of that one merchant in Bruma and changed his robe to a set of light fur armour. The stuff kept him from freezing to death, although was a bit itchy underneath. 

Ahead of him, through the thick fog that accompanied the snowstorm, Ra-Shei could make out the outlines of a lush forest, separated from him only by a small clearing. A stone path lay ahead, and since the only alternative was to dive into the unknown flora of the province, he cautiously advanced. It was not long before the snowstorm calmed slightly, turning into a light snowfall. The Argonian breathed a sigh of relief, his tail lowering, almost swishing through the snow. As he walked forward, the clearing transformed into a forest, almost surprisingly suddenly.

As the Argonian looked around the forest, he got lost in thought, reminiscing on his journey so far. He had set out of Black Marsh almost a year and a half ago, with the sole purpose of finding a place to study magic. His journey took him all over Cyrodiil, with no real effect. The Synod and College of Whispers were far too busy going at each other’s throats to bother actually teaching anything, and back in Black Marsh there were no real places to receive a proper education apart from being lucky enough to be born into a family deeply tied to magic. All that Ra-Shei managed to learn there were the basics of what is known in the rest of Tamriel as Restoration, a part of magic he never really grasped, despite Argonians having a predisposition towards it. He knew how to heal himself and, not all the time, heal minor wounds on others. During his stay in Cyrodiil, he had learned that he had a slight affinity for shock magic, but that is it. An embarrassingly low amount of learning, which led him to leave and depart for what is his last resort, Skyrim. He had known about the harsh climate of the land, and when he spent some time near the border, he had learned of a civil war tearing up the province. Regardless of this, he decided to push on. He was half expecting the border to be closed, however he was let through without too much hassle.

His wandering mind was quickly snapped back into his body as he spotted the shape of a person collapsed in the snow. He approached to inspect, sparks shooting through his fingers in one hand, just in case this was some kind of ambush. The woman seemed to be barely clinging into life, half-buried in snow, some of her limbs already turning purple. He made sure she was still alive before removing the fur lining off his armour and placed it over her. He attempted to cast a sort of healing spell; however, it did not do much. The snow slowly stopped falling, by the time it had stopped completely Ra-Shei managed to get the woman completely out of the snow, and due to the added warmth from the fur, she had started to slowly open her eyes. The moment her retinas focused on the Argonian, all life seemed to return to her as she shot away, a look of bewilderment and fear in her eyes.

“Easy, easy” the Argonian said, showing his open hands, signifying he was unarmed.

“Wh..wha…what are y... you” the woman sputtered out, along with a bunch of other inaudible words

“I am Saxhleel, how do you say, Argonian. From Black Marsh. You are injured, quite badly. Let’s get you to a town. Do you know where a nearby town is?” He spoke very slowly, as if to a child, trying his best to ignore that last remark. He had grown accustomed to being a slight oddity in Cyrodiil, however nobody has asked about him as a “what” before. It hurt ever so slightly. He blamed it on her coming out of shock however, as he refused to believe that someone wouldn’t know what an Argonian is.

“H… Helgen. Not far from here”She seemingly regained most of her senses and stood up.

“What’s your name? I am Ra-Shei” the Argonian spoke, still in a slow and slightly overexaggerated manner.

“Aldvild… my name is Aldvild”

“Alright, Aldvild, lead on to this Helgen”

The two proceeded down the path, and after a short descent, the snow seemed to give way completely to the lush forests, the landscape shifting from whites and greys to a plethora of colours – greens, reds, even some purples from the mountain flowers and lavender plants.

“How did you end up out here, Aldvild” He asked in a friendly tone, however he could see the woman clearly was uncomfortable around him and just wanted the ordeal to be over.

“Erm… I… uh, I escaped some bandits and tried to get to Bruma. As you can see, I didn’t make it. Helgen should be just over this corn- “she didn’t get to finish the sentence before turning the corner and seeing the columns of smoke and the distant flickers of fire.

“Oh fuck” she uttered, for the first time in a clear and loud voice.

She didn’t feel it, however the Argonian immediately scrunched his face up at the ghastly smell that quickly grew more potent the closer they came. It did not take long for him to put two and two together. “Burned flesh. This must have happened a short time ago. I wonder if- “

Yet again, they were interrupted. This time by a harrowing roar of a beast unknown to both of them. The noise seemed all-encompassing, almost as if this beast were everywhere.   
Then they saw it.

A massive pile of scales, larger than anything Ra-Shei had ever seen in his life. Black, with glowing red eyes that were clearly visible even from a distance. The beast soared above the wrecked town and let out a loud roar, making the Argonian clutch his head as it was filled with the terrible cacophony. Then, all of a sudden, it stopped, and a new voice rang out in his head. This one equally harrowing, but more understandable.

“Zu’u Koraav Hi”

And then everything went black.

By the time Ra-Shei had come to his senses, the sun had moved across the sky – he must have been out for a couple of hours. The woman was nowhere to be found; it would appear she had taken off, gone along with the fur lining of his armour. Ra-Shei sighed, disappointed. “Maybe we will run into each other again, that will be an awkward conversation” the Argonian thought to himself.

The fires of the burning town had not faded, instead they seemed to illuminate the sky. Ra-Shei decided to investigate the wreckage. The smell of burnt wood and flesh is a smell he had become numb to, and he could uncover what happened here. He opened the gates, which easily swung open, clearly damaged, and charred. Collapsed towers of stone and burned homes met his eyes, the fires still burning violently. Ra-Shei didn’t bother to dig through the remains of the victims, it was not his way to do such things. The only thing he managed to find as to give a clue as to what happened here was a scorched journal that contained the writings of one of the citizens. From it, he could gather that the town was attacked by a Dragon. Ra-Shei had not heard that name outside of certain symbols within Cyrodiil. He needed to find his way to the nearest town, ask the townspeople about these “dragons” and restock on his supplies. He had, after all, still quite a way to go before he reached his goal of Winterhold.

He stepped out of the smouldering ruin of Helgen and looked around for a signpost. Luckily, one was nearby. Ra-Shei inspected it briefly and muttered. “Falkreath it is…”

And with that thought, the Argonian’s exhaustion caught up to him. As the adrenaline stopped, the wave of tiredness arrived. He was of half a mind to return to that ruin and sleep there, however ultimately decided against it. As not to waste time, he set off in the direction that the sign pointed, this time not taking in the beautiful scenery. It was already beginning to get dark and the last thing he wanted was to get lost in a forest at night in an unknown land. After what felt like far too much walking, he began to notice the faint outlines of what he assumed to be Falkreath – the lights of the town giving a faint aura. By the time he had reached the gate, he could feel his eyes closing. As he stumbled through the gate, the first thing he saw was a sign saying “Dead Man’s Drink Tavern.

“That’s an… encouraging name” the Argonian thought to himself.

Walking inside, he sought out the innkeeper and almost instinctively asked for the room cost. The woman at the counter stated her price, and Ra-Shei blankly placed 100 Septims on the counter.  
“I’ll show you to your room, right this way”

The Argonian didn’t care for much more except making sure his door is closed before crawling into the bed and shutting his eyes.

Little did he know, his arrival had sparked the interest of a certain self-proclaimed scholar, in desperate need of a travelling partner.


	2. Lucien Flavius

Ra-Shei sprung upright; his eyes wide open. He dreamt. Well, more of a nightmare then a dream. He dreamt of what he saw. The smoke, ash, the bodies. He dreamt of the scaly beast. He dreamt of its eyes, it’s teeth, it’s voice. He dreamt of home, of ruins, of the dragon bringing the same ruin to his home as it had to Helgen. The last thing he heard before waking was a scream, a loud, heart-wrenching scream. 

As he woke and looked around, he had noticed he had sparks flowing through his fingers, slightly burning the furs of the bed he had slept in. He never fully learned to control his magic, resulting in such accidents. Quickly covering up the singed part, he had hoped that the innkeeper wouldn’t notice. He stepped out of the room and headed to the nearest bench to eat something. 

“Hi there!”

A high pitched male voice caught Ra-Shei’s attention, as behind him a blonde-haired man appeared, seemingly out of thin air. Ra-Shei slowly turned his head, his eyes setting upon the man. He looked rather young, clearly not from around these parts. The faces of the local Nords looked tired and scarred from the harsh climate. Ra-Shei remained silent, studying this man with his gaze.

“Erm… well, regardless. Name’s Lucien. Lucien Flavius. I have a business proposition if you have the time”

He stopped in anticipation. Ra-Shei raised an eyebrow and gestured towards the empty space on the bench next to him. Lucien caught on and took a seat, his eyes almost visibly gleaming in excitement.

“Go on then, Lucien” Ra-Shei said in a slightly tired voice. He hadn’t gotten a proper nights’ sleep, the nightmare leaving him mentally drained.

“Excellent! Well. I am a scholar, came to Skyrim to study. Thing is, I am no fighter. So, I was hoping you could, well, protect me. While I learn about the world, you know…”

Ra-Shei looked slightly concerned. “You must be really desperate. Resorting to random strangers for help. How do you know I can fight?”

“Well” The man replied “You are an Argonian, in Skyrim. By your furs and how you stumbled into the tavern yesterday I can tell you are a traveller, or a hunter. Both would suggest you can handle yourself.” He paused for a moment before deflating “And yes, I haven’t had too much luck with getting anyone to help me… I do have coin though, and I am willing to pay you regularly”

“You are quite the investigator. Very well. You have my interest. What would this study of yours entail?”

“Well, I desire to learn pretty much anything there is to learn about the land. The people, the history”

Ra-Shei nodded understandingly. “Alright then, I’m in.”  
Lucien stared, wide-eyed. “Just like that?”

“Correct. We are here for similar reasons, our arrangement is mutually beneficial”

Lucien looked up and placed a bag of coins on the table.

“Well, here is the first payment, up front. Where do we go?”

Ra-Shei took the pouch, looked inside and put it into his bag.

“My thanks. If you want to learn, the College of Winterhold seems like the place to go. It still quite far. We should set off as soon as possible.”

“The College? I am not even sure they are even taking on new students, but it’s worth a shot.”

At this point not much was left of Ra-Shei’s meal, their conversation took surprisingly long. Certainly not the start of the day Ra-Shei had anticipated.

They stepped out of the tavern and were met by a light rainfall. Light grey clouds blanketed the entire sky, the sun was poking through slightly, however it was still dark.

They set out. Ra-Shei in the lead, Lucien following closely behind, attempting to speak but seemingly stopping himself at the last moment. This awkward silence lasted for a few moments until the sun rose and shed light on the distant columns of smoke that Ra-Shei immediately recognised. Lucien looked in shock briefly, before finally breaking the silence. 

“What the hell happened there?”

Ra-Shei waited briefly before replying. “You wouldn’t believe me…”

“Really? I’ve seen my fair share of the world, try me”

“Well, would you believe a dragon destroyed it?” 

Lucien paused for a moment. “It sounds beyond all reason, but it would explain the thing I saw yesterday… as much as I hate to admit it, you may be right.”

He turned to Ra-Shei, the almost childish expression gone from his face, replaced by determination.

“Winterhold can wait. We must inform the townspeople if a dragon is on the loose.”

Ra-Shei nodded. “Will they believe us?”

“That is not the important part. They must at least be made aware.”

“Agreed. Let’s move.”

Their pace quickened from the light stroll they were taking to almost a run as the sense of urgency set in. They made their way through the forest. Had it not been for the situation at hand, Ra-Shei would have taken the time to take in all the flora around them, maybe even take a sample or two to look over in a spare while. They approached a narrow pass. Two large rock formations tightened the road, above them a bridge connected them together. No sooner had they made sight of the silhouettes of a few people on the rocks, an arrow lodged itself in the ground a meter or so from them. It clearly came from the bridge and whoever just shot it was nocking another one. Without a word between them they scattered, the Imperial running to the right flank and Ra-Shei taking the left. More arrows whizzed by as Ra-Shei ducked behind a tree stump, covering him entirely. He had lost sight of Lucien but not given it much mind. He took a deep breath and readied himself, sparks began shooting between his fingers as he dashed out from behind the tree, extended his hand and let loose a bolt of lightning. It flew by the group of bandits, but the moment of confusion gave him time to aim the second bolt, which caught one of the archers in the chest, sending him writhing to the floor. The remaining bandits responded with another volley of arrows. One grazed his leg, making him hiss as the sting of ruptured skin set in. He moved forward, sending anther two bolts forward, when he heard a scream of pain.

“Lucien”

He broke into a sprint, charging under the bridge and across to where he heard the sound. He saw a bandit. Instinctively, he stretched out his hand to grab him and channelled another surge of lightning. The smell of burning hair permeated the vicinity as the man feel lifeless to the ground. He scoured the area for Lucien and saw him on the ground, clutching his arm. He approached to get a closer look when he felt Lucien push him aside with his other hand and release a fiery missile that struck the last bandit, sending him reeling back, tripping over the bridge and falling to the ground with a nasty “crack”. 

The chaos of the fight had ended just as abruptly as it began, with just the groans of Lucien, the smell of burning, and the occasional grunt from the overwhelmed bandit not killed by the first volley of lightning. Ra-Shei ordered Lucien to stay put as he went to tie down the survivor’s hands and legs. He had an urge to finish the bandit off, ultimately judging that if some patrolling guards don’t take care of him, then at least he will have hopefully learned a lesson. He returned to Lucien to insect what had happened and was met with a nasty looking, but not serious wound. Lucien, however, seemed not to fully comprehend that. He began mumbling as if this wound would be his last, and despite Ra-Shei’s best efforts, the Imperial failed to comprehend the weight, or lack thereof, of the situation.

“I can fix this” Ra-Shei repeated plentifully between Lucien’s ramblings on how “he had so much of the world yet to discover” and how he “could have been so much more”. The wound, despite being undoubtedly painful, was easy to heal even with Ra-Shei’s very limited knowledge in the school of Restoration. He hovered his hand over the wound, which had encompassed most of the length of the forearm, and inhaled deeply, before exhaling with a slight hum as he focused his energy, not unlike he saw the healers do back home. Soon a pale-yellow light shone from his hand and the wound began to close, Lucien wincing as the skin stitched itself back together. 

“You need a lot of rest now. What’s the nearest town?”

Lucien groaned as he stood up. “I believe it’s Riverwood, just a short walk from here.”

They slowed their pace and moved on slowly, as not to overstrain the wounded arm. The healing wasn’t perfect, and it would certainly leave a scar, but it stopped Lucien from bleeding out. As they continued, they came to a clearing, and a magnificent arch displayed itself in the distance. Lucien’s eyes widened in awe as he spotted it.

“This must be one of the Nordic Crypts – we have to give it a look!”

Ra-Shei replied coldly “You’re wounded. You need rest and we have a different worry on our minds right now. Let’s just get to this Riverwood.”

Lucien’s expression faded. “You’re right – the crypt isn’t going anywhere”

Ra-Shei nodded and looked onwards as they pressed on. A few moments later, after passing a trio of strange stones that Ra-Shei decided need investigation, but not with Lucien’s current state, the two could make out the gates of what must be Riverwood ahead. Quite a meagre village, however they were not here to take in the sights, but to rest. Ra-Shei found a place with the sign “The Sleeping Giant Inn”, held the door open for Lucien, and approached the man at the bar.

“Greetings. We would like to rent two rooms until tomorrow” Ra-Shei said, bowing his head slightly.

“Well, that’ll be a problem, we’ve only got one free” the man replied in a gravely voice. 

“It will do. How much?”

“A hundred”  
With that, Ra-Shei rummaged through his belongings and placed a hundred Septims on the table. He directed Lucien to the rented room and closed the door after them, to a few giggles coming from some patrons who were far too drunk for such an early hour of the afternoon. As Lucien laid down, Ra-Shei channelled the healing energy once more, this time more to soothe the Imperial and make him sleep. As he stepped out someone drunkenly blurted out.

“Well, that was quick!”

Followed by the laughter of two of his buddies, seemingly equally piss-drunk. Ra-Shei stopped for a moment, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and moved on. He had gotten used to being the butt of various jokes throughout his stay in Cyrodil, where Argonians were only slightly more common than in Skyrim.

By this time, the sun was comfortably sitting in the sky and preparing itself to descend below the horizon. A cool wind swept over the town, contrasting the stuffy heat of the tavern. Ra-Shei took a step out and looked around. If not for the hammering noise coming from the forge and the occasional barking of a dog and laughter of the same two children, the place would be engulfed in a total eerie silence. He decided the forge, being the main source of sound in the entire town, would be a good place to head. He approached, the sudden warmth sending a shiver through his entire body. It took one glance to know the smith was an experienced man. Muscular, with short hair and eyes worn and tired. The various weapons and tools displayed on the racks made Ra-Shei think why he was out here instead of somewhere greater. He shrugged these thoughts off as he approached. 

“A traveller? Don’t get much of those around here. What do you need? Don’t suppose you’re here for a purchase”

Ra-Shei stopped. He thought back to the incident at the pass, and of Lucien.

“Now that I think about it. What do you have for sale?”

The smith smiled and gestured towards the rather large rack of weapons. “Everything you see here!”

Ra-Shei perused the wares, his eyes stopping on a basic sword. Nothing fancy in any way, but clearly a solid design.

“How much for this one?”

“A solid choice! Steel is the best material a mortal smith can work. Leave that fancy Elven stuff to the Elves I say! It’s yours for three hundred Septims.”

Ra-Shei looked away briefly in consideration, ultimately judging that he would rather keep Lucien alive than enjoy the bonus he had received from him.

“Alright, it’s a deal.” Ra-Shei put a pouch of gold down and went to take the sword. “There is another thing.”

The smith looked into the pouch, put it on the ground with a satisfied expression and turned bac to Ra-Shei. “What is it?”

“Do you have a type of town elder? Or someone to talk to about matters regarding the town?

“Well, there is Gerdur. You’ll find her at the mill.” He looked outside, first at the setting sun, then in the direction of the mill. “If you hurry you might even catch her today”

Ra-Shei took the sword and gave the smith a nod. “You have my thanks”. He then set off towards the mill.

Crossing a shabby-looking bridge, he approached a lumber mill, the saw mechanism silent. A man in a white shirt was gathering up his belongings, while behind him a Bosmer was moving around, also preparing to leave. Ra-Shei approached the man.

“Excuse me, where can I find Gerdur?”

“Mill’s closed for today. Come back tomorrow.” The man replied in a bored voice.

“I’m not here for work. This is important.”

The man raised an eyebrow. “Well, I’m Gerdur’s husband. Anything you wanted to say to her you can say to me.”

“Alright, I suppose you’re right. There is a threat looming over the town. Helgen was destroyed. Unbelievable as this may seem, it was the work of a dragon.”

The man paused, before bursting out in laughter.

“That’s a good one! You’ve been drinking with Embry or something?”

His laughter was interrupted by the voice of a woman.

“I believe him.”

Hod stopped laughing and turned to the woman.

“You serious?”

“Yes. Now leave us.”

The woman turned to Ra-Shei.

“This dragon. Black, red eyes, right? I saw it too.” Before Ra-Shei could get a word in, she continued. “Look, I need you to head to the Jarl of Whiterun, a short way over there. He needs to know if a dragon is on the loose.”

Ra-Shei nodded. “I will head out tomorrow in the morning, I have a room at the inn for tonight, besides, my companion needs to rest.”

“Yes, I saw you two head in. Well, let me know if you need anything”

“Of course.” Ra-Shei turned to leave but stopped. “I assume you’re not Gerdur, What’s your name?”

The woman looked at him. “No. I'm not Gerdur. My name is Delphine.”


	3. Whiterun

Ra-Shei spent the night on the floor, sitting with his back pressed against the wall. Oddly enough, he had gotten more rest like this than the day before. He had slept in worse conditions, and besides, Lucien needed the bed much more.

It was one of those rare nights that passed undisturbed. No nightmares, no screams or ruckus outside. Ra-Shei awoke naturally, almost surprising himself. His back didn’t even hurt. He slowly stood up and went over to wake Lucien. Before he did, however, he decided to check on Lucien’s arm, which was uncovered. He had noticed that the skin began to heal nicely and with a bit more rest, he would be good as new in a few days. 

“Lucien. Get up. We’ve got a job to do.” Ra-Shei said in a rather low tone, to which Lucien responded by slowly unsticking his eyelids and tiredly mumbling “Morning”

Ra-Shei sighed. “I’ll get us something to eat. You get yourself out of bed.” Another mumbled “Mhm” was the response.

He stepped out of the room to a desolate tavern. Absolutely nobody in the dining hall, only the barkeeper sitting on a stool behind the bar, dozing off slightly. Ra-Shei walked towards the man and leaned against the counter, causing the man to come to his senses and focus. “Can I help you?”

After a short talk and two venison stews ordered, Ra-Shei sat down and noticed Lucien making his way out of the room. He gave a lazy yawn and a stretch before making his way over to where Ra-Shei, who was mildly surprised at how good a state Lucien was in, was sitting. 

“So then, what’s this job you have for us?” Lucien asked with an odd confidence in his voice. The kind Ra-Shei hadn’t seen in him before.

“You’re looking better” Ra-Shei couldn’t help but comment.

Lucien smirked. “That’s the magic of a good night’s sleep”

“And a ludicrous amount of healing” Ra-Shei added

“That too. Thank you for that, by the way.”

“You are most welcome. Speaking of. I have something for you.”

Lucien tilted his head. “Oh?”

“You need to learn how to defend yourself.” He then went into the rented room and grabbed the sword he had bought. “This is for you. I do not know much about sword fighting, I cannot offer you extensive training, but it is better than nothing.”

Lucien’s eyes widened slightly as he reached out for the sword. As he took it, he laughed slightly. “You know. This is kind of absurd. I had been travelling Tamriel for quite a while now, but never have I used a weapon larger than a dagger. I usually relied on some basic spells, besides, Skyrim seems to be more… hostile than the other places I visited. Either way – thank you. I will use it wisely.”

The Argonian nodded in response. “Keep yourself safe, eh?”

Lucien nodded back. The two went on to finish their meal, making some idle chatter between bites. 

“So, what’s this job you have for us?” Lucien asked again.

“We’re headed to Whiterun, to warn the Jarl about the dragon threat.”

“Well, never met a Jarl before. You think he’d be willing to explain the inner workings of the administrative system of Skyrim?”

“Only one way to find out. You finish up here and meet me outside the inn when you are ready to head out. As far as I understand the journey shouldn’t take too long.”

With those words, Ra-Shei stood up and made his way towards the exit. He opened the door and was hit with a chilly breeze as he noticed a light coat of snow covering the ground. Not enough that one couldn’t see the ground underneath, but enough to make Ra-Shei feel colder already. He leaned out onto the porch. His eyes focused on the small river running through the town for some reason, to the point where Lucien’s voice startled him.

“Ready to go!” Lucien said in an eager voice. Ra-Shei was ultimately glad to hear him in this state, rather than the exhausted, wounded Lucien he saw yesterday. He decided not to share this information with his companion, however, replying with a simple “Let’s go, then”

The road to Whiterun was rather short and uneventful, albeit beautiful. After a small incline, the two were met with the sprawling plains of Whiterun, surrounded by a lush forest. A long, winding path led them across a bridge and past a meadery, as well as a small group of adventurers in heavy armour bearing wolf insignia. Neither Ra-Shei nor Lucien recognised the symbols, however the warriors appeared to hold themselves in high regard, judging by the way they carried themselves. Ra-Shei felt unnerved around them, as if they were emanating a sense of danger. Lucien, however, was holding back an urge to drill one of them with questions. He seemed very upbeat. As they approached the entrance to the city, they noticed plenty of guards, a sharp contrast to the absolute lack thereof in Riverwood. Not even an occasional patrol came through there, judging by some things overheard in the Sleeping Giant. Ra-Shei had even heard that break-ins were no uncommon sight, with one recently leaving a shopkeeper devastated. Oddly, the guards did not question the two at the entrance, instead letting them right through the already opened gate.

The bustling city of Whiterun unfolded before them. Ra-Shei had heard of this place before. Various traders, especially as he neared Bruma, would talk about making supply runs there. He managed to find out that Whiterun is essentially the trade capital of the province and is the place to go for any material goods you may need. As it had been the middle of the day, the streets were busy. The sounds of chatter, occasionally interspaced with the monotone ringing of a hammer striking an anvil, flooded the air. Ra-Shei looked around and turned to Lucien.

“You know, I may just pick up some new clothing here – maybe something lighter.” He said optimistically. “First, though, we have a task ahead.”

They moved through the streets, Ra-Shei taking note of the stores which may interest him. As they arrived at the main square. From there it was not hard to figure out where to go next, as the way towards the upper ring of the city was clear, with a large staircase leading up. This was clearly the place where the noble families lived, the buildings significantly larger and more ornate than those in the lower district. Directly ahead of them a massive tree stood firm, surrounded by benches in what seemed to be a place of worship. The two stood there, taking it all in, when an elderly voice interrupted them. 

“It’s a shame, isn’t it?”

“Huh?” Lucien turned with a rather stunned expression

“The tree. Used to be a beautiful centrepiece of the city, now look at it. Wilted and dying”

In truth, the tree had seen better days. Leaves were almost all gone, only a few bright pink specimens scattered between the branches. 

The woman spoke again. “The Gildergreen used to be a symbol of the city. We, the priesthood of Kynareth, have kept watch over it for ages, but it seems its’ time is coming to an end.”

Ra-Shei interrupted. “Can nothing be done? I have seen my people revitalise trees of the Hist when I was a hatchling.”

“Well, not all is yet lost. If you wish to lend your aid, meet me at the temple. Tell whoever is there that Danica asked for you.”

“We will see what can be done.” Lucien replied enthusiastically. He then paused to look at Ra-Shei, not unlike a child looking at their parent asking whether they can keep the pet they just brought in.

Ra-Shei nodded. “We are on an urgent visit to the Jarl, but we shall check back when we can.”

The woman looked pleased. “Thank you. See you soon”

Ra-Shei seemed to have drifted off, mesmerised by the tree. It reminded him of home, and of the colossal Hist trees that he grew up around. His reminiscing was quickly broken by Lucien, however.

“Good to go?”

“Oh, yes, apologies” Ra-Shei quickly replied. “Let’s go.”

Another set of stairs greeted them, this one going directly up to a large keep, unmistakeably the seat of the Jarl of Whiterun. Along the staircase yellow flags with the symbol of the city – the head of a horse – were densely placed, waving proudly. They made their way through a small moat and headed into the keep.

The keep itself was a remarkable structure, however unnecessarily tall in Ra-Shei’s eyes. The main hall opened into a seating place with dining tables, as well as a dedicated place for the Jarl, above which hung the skull of a dragon. Ra-Shei winced as his gaze met that of the skull, an image of the black beast flashing before his eyes. He felt in that moment that he would meet those red, piercing eyes once more. He only hoped that he would be better prepared next time.

Before them, the Jarl’s court itself stood. From the back of the room Lucien and Ra-Shei could clearly see them. First, the Jarl. A middle-aged man with a rough beard and long hair. Sitting on his throne, he almost immediately focused his gaze on the two strangers entering the hall. Almost as if on instinct, the Dunmer woman standing beside him drew her sword and walked towards them. She was dressed in ornate armour, certainly as a show of power. Both adventurers immediately recognised the make of the armour as Elven, most likely from Summerset. She approached them and spoke in a sharp, authoritative voice.

“What do you want? The Jarl is not accepting visitors.”

“We bring news from Helgen. We witnessed an attack and wanted to report what we saw” Ra-Shei responded, before being cut off by the woman.

“If you witnessed an attack you should be speaking to the captain of the guard, not the Jarl, now, go away.”

From behind them, the Jarl spoke in a calm, warm voice. “Ireleth, calm down. I would like to hear what they have to say.”

The woman turned around to the Jarl, gave a nod, then shot her gaze back towards the two. “I have my eyes on you.” She said as she escorted them to the Jarl.

“Now, what is this about Helgen?”

“I was passing by, and discovered the town was attacked. This may sound improbable, but I can say with certainty that the attacker was a dragon.” Ra-Shei explained.

“By Ysmir! Ireleth was right… Excuse us for a moment, I must consult my advisors. This will not take long, do not go far” The Jarl said, his voice showing a lot of concern. He then called out for his other advisor. “Proventus!”

Ra-Shei nodded and gestured to Lucien that they should leave the court to do business. They moved towards the exit of the keep while who they deducted to be Proventus rushed by them. They waited near the huge door of the keep, not picking up much of the conversation, until they heard the Jarl’s voice again, this time near furious.

“Enough!”

His voice then died down again and after a while, Ireleth approached them. 

“The Jarl wants to speak to you” she said before taking off out the door. They approached the Jarl.

“Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I promise you that you will be rewarded for your service. In the meantime, however, I would like to ask of you that you speak with my court wizard, his study being over there” he said, gesturing to a hall off the right side of the main hall. “Tell him you have been sent to aid in his dragon project, he will explain the rest. Thank you once again.”

Noticing they didn’t have too much of a choice, they accepted and headed towards the wizard’s quarters.

For a brief moment, Ra-Shei thought that this wizard would open his mind to the possibilities of magic, perhaps he did not need to go to the college at all, perhaps a mentor is all he needed. Those thoughts dispersed as quickly as they appeared when he met the wizard in question. This wizard dressed in blue couldn’t help but sprinkle in the odd passive-aggressive insult or witticism, which frankly made Ra-Shei view the man as, commonly speaking, an asshole. He explained, rather laconically that this “project” involved them delving into the ruin which they saw on their way to Whiterun, at the thought of which Lucien’s eyes lit up. Ra-Shei was not as excited but nonetheless eager to get this wizard out of sight. Without a word of formalities, the duo headed to the large door of the keep, and headed out onto the moat. Ra-Shei approached the wooden railing of the small bridge and leaned on it, looking to the sky, which was turning a beautiful shade of purple as he observed the sunset. It was not long before Lucien joined him, announcing his presence with a long, drawn out sigh.

“That guy is an asshole” he announced proudly.

Ra-Shei couldn’t help but laugh quietly. “Yeah, that he is. Before I met him I had thought that I would request of him to teach me, could you imagine?”

“Oh Divines no, I doubt he even noticed you are a mage. I don’t think he’d have been able to tell even if you threw a lightning bolt at him”

“Don’t tempt me” Ra-Shei replied with a smile. He then looked to the sky and sighed again. “So, we are heading to this barrow tomorrow. Are you sure you can handle yourself? How is your arm?”

Lucien turned his head, not unlike a puppy listening closely to a new sound. “Are you… worried for me?”

“I don’t want you to meet your fate down there, is all” Ra-Shei stated, rather firmly.

“Well, the arm has seen better days, maybe that priestess could help us. Temple of Kynareth, was it?” Lucien said, deciding to let his previous question go.

“I believe so.” Ra-Shei said, before grabbing the attention of a passing guard. “Excuse me, where can we find the Temple of Kynareth?”

The guard replied automatically, almost as if that question is one he hears on a daily basis. “Down the stairs, then to the right.”

“Thank you” Ra-Shei said with a nod.

They found the temple without too much trouble and entered. Before them unfolded a square room, with plenty of stone beds on which lay people seeking medical attention. They were greeted by a young woman, who greeted them in an eager voice.

“Welcome to the Temple of Kynareth. Do you need relief in your ailments, or are you here to pray?”

Ra-Shei bowed. “My friend here is wounded, we were wondering if we can get some proper medical aid.

“Of course, right this way.” She then led them to one of the stone beds, and instructed Lucien to lay down. She then stood over him and looked at his arm.

“Was this healed previously?” she asked.

“Yes” Ra-Shei replied. “I tried to stop the bleeding, but my Restoration is very basic.”

“I can see that.” She said, after quickly adding “no offense, you managed to stop the bleeding, but the bone inside still appears damaged.” In an apologetic manner, to which Ra-Shei raised his hand to show that none was taken. 

“To perform this operation, we will need to sedate you. The pain would be immense otherwise.” She then said to Lucien. “I will go to get the sedative.”

Lucien looked rather worried. Ra-Shei sat down next to him and spoke. “Don’t worry, you’ll be good to go by tomorrow. I’m not going in there without you.”

“Thanks” Lucien replied, surprising Ra-Shei with his brief choice of words. He had turned slightly pale, however before their conversation could continue, the priestess returned with a purple liquid in a bottle.

“Drink this. When you wake up, you will be good to go.” She said reassuringly. Lucien lifted his head to drink the potion, and after a moment, he dozed off, unconscious. The woman turned to Ra-Shei. “We will need to keep him overnight, but by noon he will be up and ready to go.”

“I see. Thank you for your aid” Ra-Shei said, then, after a brief pause, spoke again. “Is Danica here? I met her earlier and she asked I meet her here if I have the chance.”

“Danica Pure-Spring? She is our head priestess. Follow me.”

She led Ra-Shei to a tiny room in the back of the temple, where Danica sat at a desk, filling out some papers.

“Danica, you have a guest.”

She turned, rather unimpressed, however her expression changed when she recognised Ra-Shei. “Oh, hello! Good to see you. Where is your friend?”

Ra-Shei gestured to the main room. “On the bed, getting healed.”

The Nord looked worried. “I hope I is nothing serious, regardless, he is in good hands. What brings you to me?”

“Two things in fact. One, regarding the tree, I thought I could help once I am done with the task from the Jarl. Secondly, are you by any chance taking on apprentices? I would like to learn the art of restoration.” Ra-Shei said.

“Well, I do not take on students, unless you wish to join the priesthood. Your best bet would be Winterhold for regular learning. If you help with restoring the Gildergreen, however, I can show you how to better control your healing, as a form of payment.”

“I see. Well, that works for me.” Ra-Shei said, eagerly.

“In that case, seek me out again once your previous task is complete, I will fill you in on all the details.”

With that, Ra-Shei gave a respectful nod and headed to the way out. He noticed that the priestess who had greeted them had already began her work with Lucien, hovering her hand over his arm, focusing a beam of pale light. 

He headed outside to see that the sun had made it’s way behind the horizon, and the sky turned a deep dark blue under the light of the moons. He noticed that people were flocking to one of the two taverns he saw on his way in, however he had little mood to deal with all the people, so he headed into the one closer to the main gate. The Drunken Huntsman.

The inside was completely empty. Only the owner seemed to be here.

“Greetings. How much for a room?” 

The man’s eyes lit up, as he offered a very affordable price, almost out of desperation. Ra-Shei paid for his room and laid in the bed, the complete silence helping him drift off.


End file.
